Shakespeare's 12th Night: Redwall Edition
by Traxer
Summary: A mix of the awkwardly funny Shakespeare plot and the Redwall genre, plus a few extra quirks mixed in. Where could it go wrong?
1. The Storm and Rescue

**Shakespeare's 12th Night: _Redwall Edition_**

The storm ravaged the seas and plunged the day to the deepest of nights. The lightning flashed its eerie glow; the thunder crashed its massive persecution. And in the raging waves of the boiling waters a ship continued to be bashed by the elements.

Only two creatures held on to the desk of this small craft. The ship would not last much longer, it was breaking apart, every wave threatened to capsize it. The two creatures held onto the mast, their paws clasped together, their fur soaked and their muscles sore from the constant onslaught of the storm.

Then they saw the wave, the massive, gargantuan wave of pure force and magnitude, towering and growing, higher and higher. They closed their eyes. They held each other's paws tighter. The wave fell.

All was sound, all was water, all was dark.

The ship sank, never to return to the surface.

The paws released, separated by the wills of the dark, cold, watery claws of the ocean.

O O O

Water dripped off the leaves of every tree in the forest as evidence of the saturation of the storm the night before. In the bright morning sun a mouse tramped across the wet grass towards the river mouth, the place where the grand River Moss flowed into the endless ocean. He emerged from the trees to the dazzling scene, of the glistening blue that sparkled into the horizon.

The mouse gave a small smile at the sight but it soon faded to be replaced by a sigh. He was attired in a colorful vest of bright fabric and a hat sat upon his head, something akin to a jester's hat of which flopped about when he moved. In his paws he held a rope, on the end of this rope a noose was tied.

The end was near for this mouse, or so he planned.

All he needed to do was get the rope on one of the branches of this gargled tree that stood on a ledge over the River Moss' mouth. For some reason he could not get the rope to go across the branch he aimed at. The end of the rope always slipped off into the river below. The noose around his neck, he tried another futile attempt, which ended as all the rest.

Even the tree was mocking him. His heart could take no more. He sank to the ground, sobbing, the rope clutched in his paws, tears dripping rapidly. "In sooth I can bear no more, my very paws quiver in sorrow and yet this rope and this tree will not let me fall away from this dreadful world. Maybe it is a joke on the joker, a smile for the fates that look down on me, a smile in sacrifice of a jester. My friend is gone and I want to..to..."

Something in the ocean distracted the mouse from his thoughts. A dark shape floated on the waves and at closer inspection it seemed to be piece of wood, and some creature lying on it. Over the sound of waves on the shore, the mouse heard coughing.

Forgetting his distress in not being able to kill himself, the mouse ran to the seashore to get a better look. The figure was now moving.

"Hold on!" he called to the mysterious beast and, using the rope that still had the noose tied into it, he threw it to the figure. The figure weakly grabbed the rope and the mouse pulled.

After a few minutes of pulling, the mouse discovered the creature to be a female squirrel, her clothes tattered and fur salty. She gasped, "Water..."

The mouse let the squirrelmaid put an arm around his neck as he helped her up. When they had made it to the River Moss and the squirrel had fully recovered by drinking the pure water, she turned to the mouse.

"What, pray tell, may I call my brave rescuer?"

The mouse blushed, "First and foremost, you may not call me brave, because the words 'fool' and 'folly' are what most call I."

The squirrel maid laughed, "I shall remember that, but what is your title dear sir?"

The mouse rose to his feet and gave an elegant bow, "My title would be Fezz good lady, a jester of the Abbey of Redwall."

The squirrelmaid wavered a moment at the sound of the name Redwall, "Alas, I have been washed far indeed, to be thrown near the forgiven shores of Mossflower. But to be fair to your knowledge kind jester, my name is Violet, of the far Southern shores, daughter of a famed merchant, who as recently went to dwell the Dark Forest. My brother and I were on a voyage and a storm hit. Please Fezz, have you seen any other creature washed up from the perilous seas?"

"I wish on your beautiful face I had, but I have not," Fezz said shaking his head. In the short time he had been with this squirrel, he had forgotten his former intentions of coming here and he only wanted to help this maid. Taking her paws, he said, "But do not despair, I'm sure if the seas allowed your life to escapes its fathomless depths that your brother is alive."

This did not stop the tears that begun to drip down her cheeks, which she wiped away with her bushy tail. "I wish you to be right, my friend."

"I do not deserve your friendship."

"You do noble mouse."

"Please, you threaten to slay me with your compliments. I am a pessimist with lack of pessimism, a fool of wiseness, a gamer of the serious, a horrible fibber of truths. My words the delicate frosting of the cake of seasons."

"Modesty you lack not, jovial Fezz."

Fezz bowed once again and Violet took the opportunity to shove him into the cool water of the River Moss. "I am drowning good lady, my paws are leaving life. Traitorous actions of the rescued my down fall..."

"Stand up."

The mouse stood up to find the water barely covering his footpaws. "Oh." He kicked the water at the squirrel who now rolled on the grassy shore laughing. "I see you find my peril amusing, I shall find offense in your..." His voice trailed off as he realized that the squirrel's laugher had turned to sobs. "Sweet maid, why do the drops of salt stain your perfect face? Is it a cause of any action of mine? Please, I implore you of the cause."

"My brother," she managed to respond once the sorrow subsided, "Sebastian, I know not his fate and I do not even know mine."

"Your fate could be happy ended Violet, you could come with me to the abbey of redstone, Redwall and live a life of happiness and bliss."

She turned her face away, to the water, that glistened in the beams of the sun, flowing on the River Moss in its leisurely pace. Violet thought it over and considered the prospect. Her heart led in another direction. "I do not belong in such a place, I am a spirit in mourning and broken on the rocks of conflict. I refuse to impose peaceful creatures to my past. Besides, my free spirit would distract and annoy, I cannot agree to become confined in its red walls..." Her voice choice not to complete the statement with the word: 'yet'.

Fezz didn't know what to make of her conclusion but was more hoping that she would not notice the noose at the end of the rope that he was trying to wrap into a neat loop. Though he would not say it, despite the fact that she thought he was the savior, Violet was the savior for him. Where would he have been? The gnarled tree that leaned over the outcrop above the River Moss' mouth could still be seen from where they stood. Fezz's mind vaguely saw an image of a familiar body swinging back and forth in the gentle sea breeze by now.

Nothing was worth that solution, even the loss of a friend.

Violet paw set on the mouse shoulder, "Fezz, you inquire of my tears, what of yours?"

Yes, Fezz thought, the future held much of pleasant surprise. Instead of telling his thoughts, the mouse made his own inquiry," Where do you plan to go if you do not set your sights on the 'restricting' walls of Redwall."

"Oh," the squirrel took the opportunity to pull at the fur of her salt encrusted tail nervously, "I would wonder...do you know of the squirrel warrior that is said to have settled in these parts? I...I..."

"The Duke," Fezz confirmed, "No."

"No? To what? I just wanted to know if such a noble figure would need a helping paw, a page, a courtier?"

"Exactly. No," Fezz said again, laughing quietly, "Violet, he is a proud squirrel and would never accept the help of a female. Duke is chauvinistic and possessive, though also a kind and caring soul. And..."

"Who said I would have to go to him as a female?"

Fezz practically choked on the breath that occupied his lungs. Taking off his floppy jester cap, he mused, "My cap must be on my ears too tight, because I think they forsook me to cause me to hear something wrong."

"They didn't."

The mouse stared at the squirrel long and hard, "But...but...you cannot be serious Violet..."

"Yes, I am, I shall start a life anew under the guide of this famed Duke."

"How?"

Violet smiled as she realized she didn't have a hint of a clue of what her paws were leading into. She kissed Fezz on the cheek. Fezz promptly blushed bright red and his mouth frothed gibberish.

Replacing Fezz's cap on his head, she whispered, "I need your help of course."

Note: It seems to me that at first glance that Violet's decision /is/ this vague and sudden. I am using the version that I saw on stage to create this tale. I am sure that this tale will take its own direction on various aspects since it is impossible to mirror Shakespeare. Anyway, I want to add in my own quirkiness to this odd story. And no, I'm not going to keep up this strange matter of dialogue in the entire tale, I think that both Violet and Fezz are delirious after their ordeals.


	2. Enter the Players

O O O

A mound of fresh earth lie in the shadow of an apple tree, the pink of apple blossom petals upon it. A squirrel, of a deep reddish fur and wet eyes, watched the mound of earth. She almost appeared to be waiting for something, or even someone. She dabbed the tears from her face.

"Olivia? What are you doing sitting here in the orchard as the sun departs to its nighttime stage?"

Olivia awoke from her daze and realized where she was, in the orchard of Redwall Abbey and thinking about the past, especially about a face departed.

The question that haunted her came to her mouth once again, "Why did he have to go?"

Molvo, the black squirrel, pulled at his whiskers, "The past is the past, that is all."

"It's so much more than that Molvo, he's my brother. He shouldn't have left me, I wish the Dark Forest would have taken my own soul instead of his. Why?"

"Do not go asking such foolish ponderances. Come now, to dinner, everybeast is asking after your beautiful presence and..."

"My beauty shall be untouched."

"What?"

"I have decided Molvo, in honor of my brother, I shall not take the paw of any male. The love of no heart shall penetrate mine until six seasons pass."

Molvo undid his cloak and wrapped it around the crying maid, "There, there, Olivia. Please come inside. I know your loss is great but do not let your mind be tricked by the pains of grief." The dark squirrel knew very well that practically every male squirrel in Mossflower knew of Olivia's beauty and if she did what she said the hopes of many would be froze. The dark squirrel began to lead her in the direction of the main building of the Abbey.

"No, I am serious Molvo, for six seasons I will not accept the courting of any the Romantics of any beast."

O O O

"I need her, her wonderful beauty and perfection. She is the only one I could ever consider and love fully with all my heart and soul."

This proclamation came in a room of a house in the branches of a massive oak, the residence of a squirrel warrior, known and feared by a noble title: Duke. He paced back and forth in his room, his arms waving about as he spoke to emphasize his phrases, "I need her. Those eyes, that face, that melodic voice, all of her is just...just..."

"I know, perfect," an otter sighed, "You speak of nothing else lately my friend."

"I cannot help such things, she's the loveliest creature I have ever known. Do you understand Valentine?"

The otter stood there tapping his footpaw, his eyes closed.

"Do you under..."

"I wasn't going to respond to your proclamations since if I do so the proclamations continue to grow until there is nothing left to proclaim and your proclamations become the repetitive proclamations of the past in a repeating matter."

Duke, at this point a completely oblivious Romantic, rubbed his chin, "So...you think I should go to her and proclaim my love..."

"Do you hear me Duke?" Valentine yelled into the squirrel's ear, "Get over this love sickness and just...ur..." Something occurred to the otter, like the fact that this argument would drag a long time if he didn't agree, "Yes...go proclaim your love to Olivia."

"Ur..." Duke's eyes dilated at the sudden rush of fear that statement brought on until he burst, "I can't do that! I'll freeze up and make myself out to be a fool of fools."

"I think you're already ending up to be a fool of fools," Valentine muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

O O O

"How could this happen? How could this possibly happen!"

"Please Toby, calm down." The Abbot mouse patted the hare on the back, "If that is Olivia's decision, it is a fine choice and we should respect it. Personally I see no problem with her delaying any engagements in honor of her brother."

"That is not the problem, that problem is not even half of it. We must consider what is best for Olivia. What about her and Andrew?"

A fit of coughing delayed the Abbot's response, an attempt to cover the snickering at the suggestion. Of course, as an Abbot, he couldn't come right out and say the thought that ran through his mind, because it was blunter than what an Abbot should say. His mouth fumble for a better way to say it, "Yes, but Andrew is such a...a..."

"Perfect mate."

"Not exactly the word I had in mind." _Simpleton might work_ the Abbot thought.

Before the hare could ask what word the Abbot had in mind, a squirrel burst into Cavern Hole and promptly flipped over a bench to the floor. The claws of this beast clamped into the table and pulled himself up. Seeing the mouse Abbot and Toby, Andrew placed a goofy grin on his maw. "Hullo there mates, I seem to have had bit too much of the ol' October Ale ya see. Or was it that blackberry cordial? Or the elderberry wine? Maybe all three. And more! Heh," His bushy tail jerked sporadically.

The Abbot repositioned his glasses and experienced another, not so subtle, coughing spell, "Are you intoxicated Andrew?"

"Nope, don't think so," he responded, his words slurred, "I'm not outoxicated either if you must know. I'm not in any of those religious hobbiligosh sects. Ooo, the room is moving like a jelly puddin' on a snorin' mole." Andrew slipped away under the table with a soft thump.

"See," Toby exclaimed, his ears flopping about at the 'proof', "He would be perfect for Olivia."

To hide his true thoughts again, the Abbot coughed event louder. _How could she resist that charmer_ he thought the sarcastic non-Abbot thought.

O O O

"Ahoy dere!" the fox called to a motionless creature draped limply upon a wooden beam floating on the waves. It had been a quiet day for fishing but now it seemed he would be getting the biggest catch he'd gotten for a long time.

He rowed his small fishing boat until it floated beside the figure and he dragged his catch of salt-water logged thing aboard. By closer examination, it appeared to be a squirrel, a very saturated squirrel. He pressed a bag of fresh water to the animal's mouth and the fox picked the seaweed from the squirrel's ears. About this time, when the squirrel's eyes opened, they also widened, and he pushed away from the fox. "Away perilous fox, I am not to be a victim of your evil intentions."

"At de current place, oi doubt ya'd 'ave mut choice matey." After the squirrel had caught its bearings, realize how weak he was, he began to panic. Sighing, the fox continued, "If ya must know squirrel, oi retired frim bein' a pirate long ago and now I'm bury much a neutral on de horizons of der species burrier. Don't get yer tail tied up dere. Name's Antonio, and yers wouldta be..."

A look of incredulous wariness still held the squirrel's expression.

"Really mate, wouldn'ta oi 'ad gutted ya before ya awoke if I was til a scallywaggin' piratee. Anywhoose, ya got aboot notin' of use on yer fer a poor fisherbeast, I woulda left ya afloaten if I was 'eartless. Come ons, wot be yer name."

In some weird way, this convinced the dazed squirrel, "Seb, good sir," the squirrel answered, shaking the grimy presented paw.


	3. A Wise Jester and Love Unbound

Note: It is isn't completely true that don't use 'the strange matter of dialogue at various parts of this tale, it _does_ pop up at various points whenever it feels like it. Go figure.

O O O

"A message sir?"

"No, no, not a message, not an ordinary message, a grand message of love. Apprentice, this is a highly important task and would normally not trust it to somebeast I have known for a period so short. I _do_ trust you Ces."

"I am honored sir that you should trust me already. I am a foreigner and I do not deserve this..."

Duke waved aside the coming flattery and laid a hardy slap upon 'Ces's' back. Ces squeaked in an unusually high pitch. "Are you alright?".

"Yes, fine. Back's just strained from a matter most grave in a situation of the past that I do not wish to think on ever again."

"Perhaps I should take a look at..."

"No!" Ces squeaked at another unusually high pitch.

The Duke never halted to be confused by his new apprentice, and not only by the total vagueness that clouded around the chap. Ces was amazingly helpful so it really didn't matter but Duke couldn't help but wonder about him. The reason that Duke didn't bother to dig deeper is that every time he did it usually ended with Ces saying something about it being a traumatic experience from his past. It may have been suspicious if Duke had thought about it but at the moment he was distracted by his quest for the love of Olivia.

Even though Olivia was reported to have cut off relations from everyone.

"In your paws I place this humble and profound message of my love. I think that younger more sensitive heart could crack the barrier set around hers. Please Ces, as a fellow male squirrel, I beseech you to try your very best."

A horrible sharp rock of nervousness settled in Ces, actually Violet's, stomach.

O O O

"Fezz?"

"The one and only, the first and last of my kind, the original, the amazing, the valiant, the wonderful Fezz the Jester," the mouse exclaimed, bowing to the haremaid who had opened the Abbey door to him.

"Olivia has longed for your presence and good cheer. I know how the death affected your heart and humor, to have a beast as yourself disappear at such a time causes worry and turmoil on you behalf you rascal. We thought a vermin band caught you, wot?" The hare bopped the mouse between the ears, just hard enough to make her point.

"Vermin band? Posh, my fair lady. My skills of weaponry would not let their paws grasp me."

Laughing greeted this suggestion, "More likely your ever flapping tongue of wry wit. Or should I say, half wit."

"You cruel but beautiful maid, its been too long." The mouse took this opportunity to kiss the hare's paw.

"Fezz, you're back!"

"What about my back?" the mouse exclaimed in mock horror, spinning in a circle to see what could be behind him.

Olivia, donned in the black cloths of mourning, ran up and embraced the mouse. "You fool of fools, how dare you abandon me in a time of need. My heart ached and I needed your cheer. Where have you been?"

"Alas, fair maiden, in places I cannot let your perfect ears to hear."

"Most likely he lost his way between a joke and punch line and has been lost wandering to find it," a sour voice cut in, coming from a black squirrel making an equally sour face at the mouse.

Unfretted, the mouse waved insolently at the squirrel. "Long time no see ol' Mollo."

"Brother Molvo to you, fool. I cannot say your return is a pleasure."

"Someone woke on the wrong side of the bed, wot?" Maria whispered under her breath, "Unfortunately he bally well does that everyday."

"Should try sleeping on the floor then," Fezz whispered back.

"I _hear you_," Molvo announced.

"Please you two, stop your jest of Molvo." Olivia had good reason to speak up for the sometimes-rough squirrel. The fact that he raised her as a child was something she always would remember and respect, though even she couldn't help but smile at Molvo's growing discontent.

"I don't think we should even accept you back into this Abbey, making us leave you for dead," Molvo spat, "You are a worthless mouse who cares nothing of other beast's feelings." The shadows of the archway leading into Redwall gave Molvo an extra sinister appearance.

"You trod on my honor as a fool. I may be fool to leave but I'm also a wise fool for what I have discovered in my journeys. I tell you fair Olivia, why do you still mourn?"

The question caught the squirrelmaid off guard, and her somberness returned, "Fezz, you know, for my brother."

"I think he must have departed past Hellsgates."

Olivia gasped, "How dare you say things of such nature?"

"You _are_ a fool," Molvo stated.

"Ah, you say I'm the fool despite what you miss that makes you the fools. I'm the wisest fool of all, for why would you mourn unless your brother were doomed to Hellgates? Would not you be happy of his dwellings in the Dark Forest? What mournings are needed for his everlasting mornings of beauty in afterlife."

"Sounds like a wise fool to me," Maria piped in, wagging her ears in amusement.

Molvo grumbled something unintelligible and stalked away.

"Oh Fezz, you really must halt your mocking of poor Molvo."

"Possibly though as a fool I have an obligation to try to sweeten the sourpusses, even if they may be soursquirrees. Now, if your friend Maria would accompany me to the kitchens, my stomach would be forever in her debt if she coxed Friar Shy to volunteer vittles to my maw."

"A challenge I shall take for you, though I would bet he will be more likely to shave a pound of flesh off you for stew then give a glutton as you a crumb before lunch, wot, wot."

The hare and mouse duo departed in the direction of the main Abbey building as Olivia looked on, shaking her head at the antics of Fezz. His comment also brought back the memory of her brother and she found her smile fading to a frown, a tear tricking down her cheek.

"Is anyone there?"

She used her tail brush to wipe the tear away and turned toward the voice. A head peaked in through the opening between the Abbey's huge doors.

"Excuse me, I have a message from the honorable Duke..."

_Duke_, the name changed Olivia's mood from sad to annoyance. That squirrel would not let up and leave her alone. It was bad enough that Andrew was still pining for her here in the Abbey in his dimwitted matter, but to have a suitor that would barely show his face...

"What is it?" she brashly responded.

"Are you Olivia?" the unknown squirrel asked in a timid matter.

"I..." Olivia stopped herself from answering. Why should she bother revealing herself to this messenger and give Duke the satisfaction of a direct message. "I'm her very good friend, could I take a message?"

"I'm sorry good lady. I cannot tell you, I have specific orders," the squirrel said, cautiously stepping past the door, showing his professional attire of a vest, shirt and belt adorned with a brass buckle. A primitive scabbard hung from the belt and a sword of some sort was pushed into it. Olivia couldn't help be intrigued by the messenger boy, a unfamiliar beast in her eyes.

"Come, come, spit it out. It makes no difference of the source of the note."

A piece of paper crumpled and uncrumpled in the squirrel messenger's grasp, "I guess so..." he started, unsure, "Duke would like to proclaim his love to you in the following way. 'My heart pines you on every waking moment, it seeks you on every breath, it wonders at your beauty, it sings for your perfect voice...'

"It sounds as if he's stalking."

"...your steps take you on clouds and your flawless face brings creatures to their knees..."

"Please, I will hear no more of this nonsense, it is all worthless drabble."

Ces's mind spun as she realized the Duke's words of passion were unsuitable and clunky. She couldn't let this message be disregarded and bring back bad news to Duke. What could she do?

"Please m'am, listen, his love is never-ending, his heart pains for you and he groans for the thought of life without Olivia."

"And yet, if this love truly is in his heart, he does come himself to proclaim it, he does not even know _my_ heart, I am just a beauty in face when he does not even wonder of the beauty of heart. I cannot say that I love just a beast when he has the tongues of others speak for him of the sacred thoughts of love."

It finally dawned that this was Olivia, his target.

Olivia continued, "Do you even know what that means? Love? I would be pleased to hear what you would do for hunt of that petty word."

The image of Duke's face floated into the mind of Violet, a face that she could honestly say she thought of the most. Only a few days in his presence and she had fallen for his roguish handsome features and flawed, yet likable, nature. She could not reveal these things as Ces. What she would do to receive this love was simple.

"If I were to seek the love of my heart, I would not chance anything. I would camp on their doorstep, sing the songs of sweetness to their ears from dawn to dusk, I would call their name, I would bring the finest of nuts I would give everything of myself to get him...I mean, her, you whoever my love would seek. Love is the greatest of the fruits in this world." She held her breath, worried that Olivia had caught onto her game from that slip of the tongue.

That Ces was anything besides the boyishly handsome squirrel that stood before her never crossed Olivia's mind. A new light lit in the squirrelmaid's eyes as she took a brand new opinion of this mysterious messenger. A tingle of pleasure ran down her spine right to the tip of her tail and her voice softened, "May I inquire your title and parsonage?"

Ces politely bowed. "Oh yes, Ces, of a the Southern shores, son of a famed merchant, newly arrived on the shore of Mossflower, currently in the apprenticeship of Duke."

The sadness of her brother's death fleeted from her as she smiled warmly at Ces, "Still I cannot accept Duke's proclamation, but please, would you consider to stay, the lunchtide approaches and you must have had a long morning trek and now have a need of a replenished stomach from our famed Abbey dishes."

"I'm sorry good lady, I would partake of the meal, but I must return to Duke to bare this news to him." The squirrel stepped towards the door. Olivia caught him by the arm.

"Even in my refusal, I hope you will consider a return to the Abbey."

"I know not of my future treks. I cannot promise." Ces tried to pry the grip from his arm, not paying attention to the odd tone in the addressing voice.

"Thanks you for the pains you took in bringing this message. I hope this is not the last time we meet."

"Good day, my lady."

Ces had finally wrenched the grip off his arm and promptly jogged out the Abbey doors.

Hugging herself, Olivia let the waves of emotion flow over her in its warm currents of pureness and joy, the magic of the mystery called love. She spun and danced, out of the entrance arch, out into the sunlight of the spring day that flowed onto the Abbey grounds.

"Are you alright Olivia?" Maria cut into her bliss, walking towards the lovestruck Olivia. "Have you been out in the sun too long, wot?"

"Oh, I'm wonderful Maria, wonderful. Oh, I have a favor to ask, a squirrel arrived to deliver a message and I think he left a certain bracelet behind." As she said this, she slipped one of her own bracelets off behind her back. She handed it to Maria, "I know you are the speediest of the Abbey my friend, could you return this to him, I think he went upon the western road, towards Duke's dwellings."

"Sure thing, my ol' legs could catch him in a good five leaps I bet. I shall do this task forthwith. Are you sure you're okay though?"

"I'm perfect, just perfect." She closed her eyes and imagined the face of Ces once more.


	4. Drunkards, Lovers and Overshadowing

• • •

"Pass some-hic-of more of dat October-hic-Ale, mate." The hare struggled to stand up and see where the barrel he sought lay. The floor buckled under him like a ship on rough seas and his paws locked onto a barrel to keep up.

His squirrel companion, Andrew, lay on the dirt floor of the cellar nearby, "Oh dis is-hic-'evenly, my tongue has never been treated so-hic-much in this way of-hic-elexors 'n such. I..." The hare's voice gussled away as a spout was opened to send the flavors of Strawberry Corjil into his mouth.

Fezz slapped Toby on the back, "I told yer not to fret on problems when a drink can always rise 'em and sink 'em. I wise fool I 'em, eh? Ooo, his blackburry wine stuff 'ere is marfishicant."

"Where de-hic-October Ale?"

The inquiry came just as the door of the cellar slammed open, unleashing the light of daylight into the room, blinding its occupants.

"I'll show you where the October Ale is!" The sound of the voice made them consider that the source of the voice would not do what it said he would.

The scene that greeted the opener of the door was not a scene of dignity for Fezz, Toby, and Andrew, them sitting in the cellar, barrels opened everywhere, pools of liquid on the floor, dripping off the beasts, and it was a scene that pushed Molvo over the edge of his temper.

"What are you all doing? This is a whole den of fools. There is no excuse for you being down here without permission. I...I...you complete and utter idiots of idiots. You have made a sticky mess everywhere. You have no thoughts of your actions and I think that you need to be reprimanded. You are hereby restricted from this area Iand/I the kitchens. That's final." The black squirrel slammed the door before anyone could even say a word.

The slam awoke the fourth beast in the room, sleeping behind one of the barrels of October Ale, the cellerkeeper, Jocco. He rose, and shook his spikes, "What's goin' on?"

"Molvo's what's goin' on," Toby grumbled, "Where does he get off doing that?"

"Oh, that's nice," Jocca faded back to the floor in a sleep.

Andrew closed the flowing cordial that had been flowing onto his head since Molvo had entered, "It's as if were Dubbin's to him and...oh, this cordial is good..." His voice again gurgled away under the cordial.

The mouse had been thinking to himself, a plan dancing about on his mind forming into an intricate tango of a prank of pranks. "I have an idea to place the sourness of this squirrel into the right brine to make a pickle..."

• • •

"I didn't even have a bracelet when I came to the Abbey, how would I be able to leave a bracelet when I didn't even bring a..."

As Ces tried to refuse the 'return' of his 'forgotten' bracelet details started to lock together in his mind and also as a female, a conclusion could be made from these details easily.

"Oh, take the bracelet, I'm sure you just forgot that you brought it. I doubt Olivia would have made a mistake of whose bracelet this dropped from," said the hare, Maria, once again pushing the bracelet into the squirrel's paw in a firm, still friendly matter. This time Ces didn't even bother to hand it back, his mind lost in the mists of shock.

"Oh, thanks..."

"Nice ta meet ya sir, have a safe trip back." Maria bounded away back in the direction of the Abbey.

"Oh."

Ces started stumbling along his way in a daze.

Violet started stumbling along her way in a daze.

This parallel was getting more confusing in course of the last event.

How had she missed it?

The fluttering eyes, the sultry voice, the twitching of the whiskers, the tail flowing about in a weird seductive way, paws grasping at each other in nervous anticipation: all signs of one horrible emotion, love.

"How? I mean, what matter of jest of the Fates has set this upon me, as maid in a male guise. I sought the direction from a warrior's mind and I have accidentally captured a lady's heart, the lady that his own heart desires. All this happens while I long for his own oblivious heart. All he sees, all she sees, all everyone sees, is Ces, not Violet. I truly am, the _man_!"

She suddenly felt very sick.

• • •

"He is perfection in the form of a squirrel Maria."

Silence followed this comment, maybe because Maria's gapping mouth really couldn't make words at the moment. To have someone to vow off males and change their mind within a period of five minutes of talking with another beast of that vow was no small thing. Especially Olivia. Being the best friend of Olivia, Maria knew this. Olivia was a hotheaded individual that was hard to please in most cases and when she vowed to do something, it wasn't a small feat to make her change her stubborn mind. Maria also knew, that Olivia was a pure romantic at heart, though it had been covered up lately by the sorrow from her brother's death.

Olivia romantic side had become unlocked while in the presence of that mysterious male squirrel.

Maria couldn't make sense of it.

She also couldn't make sense of Fezz, Andrew and Toby asking her to help them in a top-secret mission to 'defeat the dark squirrel of Doom'.

Prioritize, prioritize.

Maria took Olivia by the shoulders, to steady both the love struck squirrelmaid and herself. "Really, I've known you since Dibbun-hood and you've never acted like this."

"I'm in love."

"I think that's been established," the fact being repeated every time Olivia spoke, "What about the vow you so tearfully proclaimed?"

Olivia kept smiling, "What vow?"

"Your brother's death, how you can't love another, for how many ever seasons you said for, wot? Eh?"

Olivia bit a claw, "A silly vow could not hold the essence of love..."

"You've only just met this...it's absobalolutly rubb-" _Wait one 'wot' there hare_, her mind interrupted, _this is your best friend and you are trying to argue her out of love_.

"Don't get hurt," Maria finished, mussing up the fur on her friend's head.

• • •

"'I cannot accept Duke's proposal?'"

Storm clouds gathered in the room that Duke paced, his tail bristled at the news that his apprentice Ces had brought to him and desperation took hold.

"I cannot accept her proposal of proposal to refuse my proposal."

It took a moment for Ces make sense of that proposal.

As fast as the panic and anger came onto Duke started to fade away.

"Sorry about that." He sounded utterly defeated and tired now, "I just...I just...I don't know anymore...what is love? Can you answer that Ces?"

Everything kept coming back to that.

He didn't see the eyes of his apprentice soften when he said the word.

Ces knew that he shouldn't answer that question; Violet knew that he couldn't stand not to.

"Love is a delicate thing to hold in the paws of a maid, it holds chance and hope and excitement and to just give it away friveriously is something she would never do."

"Really?" Duke seemed surprised of the response.

"Yes," Ces continued, more confident, "a maid searches for what she thinks is the right one and when she sees her, she knows it, somehow, from the depths of her heart." Like how I felt when I first saw you, Violet added in her head. "When she knows this, all of her hopes direct toward this person to try and win him. But if there is another that sees her that is not true in loving her, she shall scoff at the attempt of the fool."

"Are you calling me a fool?" Duke boomed, his sourness returning, "And who are you to be an expert on the thoughts of love in a squirrelmaid's heart?"

Ces quavered a moment, fumbling for words and loosing himself, "I sir, was all the daughters of my fathers house..." He choked when he realized what he said and added, almost too bluntly, "and all the sons."

"Oh..." the Duke said, much calmer all of the sudden, his sporadic tempter hiding again. His eyes scanned his apprentice as he thought of the words given to him. He took the squirrel by the shoulders and look his apprentice straight into the eyes. "I..." He stopped because he noticed something, whether it was something in the eyes, or even an observation from the past few days that dawned on him, he noticed it. What he noticed, he couldn't put his paw on. The hairs rose on the back of his neck and a warm tingling sensation came over him and the position he was in for some reason was awkward to him. The hint of a reason came to Duke's mind but he banished it before it could even finish.

Duke released Ces and stalked out of the room without another word, trying to figure out what had just happened.

• • •

"Why am I writing this again?"

"I wish you would stop asking that question fair haremaid, that face of suspicion is not fitting on your wonderful maw of breathtaking beauty."

Maria didn't hide her smile very well from Fezz and she continued to jot down the words that he told her without further question. She carefully made sure that the script was as close to Olivia's own as it could.

• • •

"'Ere we are mate, to de mouth of de River Moss, the entrance to woodlander paradise and vermin peril."

"Are you sure you want to bring me up the river?"

The fox laughed, pounding the side of his fishing craft, "Course I am matee, I shall prove to ya that doe I'm a fermer piratiy beast, I still got a liver in me body."

"You mean heart."

"No, tink liver's it."

The squirrel sighed, not caring to argue on the petty topic, and continuing to be amused by his unorthodox rescuer. He stared at the mouth coming closer and the water flowing out into the ocean. Whatever would lie up that river, Seb would never be able to guess.

• • •

Molvo was in one of his infamous moods. It wasn't much of a surprise because Molvo Ialways/i in one of his 'moods'. It was as if he were destined to be miserable and he made sure that everyone else was miserable too. There never was an actual reason for his mood, it was just the way it always was and always would be. It almost appeared to be his goal in life to not smile unless it was at the detriment of another creature.

Maybe a little bit of the black squirrel longed for something more...

Molvo never even paused to consider that. He was not a creature of hope, he was a creature of reality, a realist through and through and along with this a cynic on all accounts.

This is why the letter sitting on his bed surprised him. On the letter, in a familiar flourished script his name was written. The source of this script escaped from his lips.

"Olivia."

Before anymore moments passed he had practically dove upon the letter


	5. The Yellow Tail

• • •

"Fez!"

The mouse turned to see the Abbot going at a brisk jog across the Great Hall after him, under the colorful palette the stain glassed window threw over the floor in the afternoon sun, trying her best to keep her dignity of an Abbot. Judging by the sound of his voice, Fez decided that there was something afoot here and that he was about to be grilled about a certain rumor.

"I didn't do it!"

The Abbot reached Fezz, his arms folded in the sleeves to portray a more reverent appearance, "If you did not want me to inquire if you were up to something, I can be certain that was not the statement to make. What didn't you do?"

"Absolutely nothing, in the opposite form."

"Meaning something."

Fezz put an expression of pure honesty upon his face and gasped, "My dear Abbot, how dare you say that statement, my associates and I are involved in nothing of the sort, especially not 'something'."

Abbot's footpaw tapped against the cool stones of the Great Hall floor, the echoes carrying the sound to noise that chipped away at the nerves. As an Abbot, you need to have tactics like that, especially when dealing with a fool like Fezz. The innocence sank on the fool's expression with every tapping sound until even his jester hat was quailing.

"How did you know?"

"Instinct..."

A sound of another beast entering the room interrupted her, the sound of Molvo waltzing in, presenting a sight no one would ever predict. "Hullo Abbot. Is not today the most wonderful of days?"

Both Fezz and Abbot were slightly taken aback by the overly wide, evidently forced smile on the usually gloomy squirrel's face. He practically skipped across the room in their direction, keeping that almost creepy smile in full, face-filling scale. One would think at first glance that there were something dreadfully wrong with his mouth for it to be in that grimace of a smile. As Molvo got closer, they noticed the other thing weird about him despite his current behavior. It appeared that his tail, held high and proud, was the shade of a springtide yellow.

"Where is the wonderful Olivia?" Molvo asked, in a horribly cheerful voice.

"...ur...orchard..." the Abbot managed. Fezz meanwhile bit his lip to keep from bursting, tears flowing down his cheeks.

Molvo skipped by them, "Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful..."

When he exited the doors, Fezz fell to the floor, laughing hysterically. The Abbot himself giggled as he tried to scold the mouse, "Yes, see, I know that either you're up to something, or Molvo is now one tree short of a forest."

• • •

The blade hit Ces's heart, straight on it, he had lost,

"I think that covers it for swordplay today, eh?" said Duke, pulling back his practice sword from Ces, who rapidly repositioned his clothes for some reason, "You have fleas in the ol' shirt there?"

"No, no, just a scratch, a button loose, you know, temperamental clothing strike, nothing."

"Oh, I understand," he said in a voice that said he didn't. That awkward onslaught returned on his stomach like a trout was alive and thrashing in there, it had come a lot more lately after he had confronted Ces about Oliva, and it's source scared him. He pushed it away again, refusing to think about it, or even consider it. He replaced this awkwardness with another drive in the direction of Olivia.

"You must go to her again."

"Who?"

"Olivia, my heart wants her as a resident forever and it will not be appeased if I do not make another effort. I know from my mind that this might be in vain but my heart does not know it. You must try again and return that bracelet of which you were given."

That may have been the thing that Ces never ever wanted to hear. Olivia wanted Ces to return the bracelet and Ces didn't want to find out what would happen if he encountered that squirrelmaid again. The Violet in him cringed at the possibilities.

"Please, make another attempt at my proclamation of love to her."

Ces's grip on the sword failed and it clattered to the floor.

Unwillingly, he answered, "I'll go."

• • •

"Olivia."

The squirrelmaid woke up from her dream, she had been asleep under a tree in the orchard, the contents of the dream fleeted as she saw the face of Molvo above her. This confused her, or at least the odd smile confused her. It was a long moment, as she didn't know how to react to this new form of Molvo.

"Is anything wrong?"

"No, in fact, look at my yellow tail."

The black squirrel's now yellow tail threw Olivia even further into confusion. She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it, closed it again.

"Are you left speechless by my devotion?"

"So that's what you call this."

"Yes, devotion, devotion for you, devotion for every fiber of your being."

Olivia pulled at a whisker to figure out if she was still sleeping because if she was, this was the weirdest dream yet. Unfortunately, she didn't wake up.

"Please, I read your letter and it told of what you required so that you would accept my love."

Olivia suddenly felt as if someone had hit her in the stomach, "What? What letter?" She was on her feet now.

"Oh, do not be so bold to deny it fair maiden."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"It is no shame to fall for the figure that looked after you since Dibbunhood." He moved to embrace her.

Olivia's paw slapped the black squirrel across the face, with a bit more power behind it than she meant to, therefore knocking Molvo to the ground. She knelt next to him, "Oh, I'm sorry Molvo, I thought that you were delirious. I didn't mean to hit you like that."

"Ah, any mistake can be healed by a kiss," Molvo groaned and moved to do just that.

Olivia slapped him again, this time into unconsciousness.

• • •

As Violet neared the Abbey, her thoughts spinning at what to do. She couldn't even think of the right words to describe the situation in which she found herself intertwined. He tried to speak it aloud to see if it made anymore sense away from the muddle noise of her mind. "It is a puzzle of solving, to have love strung across the realms of hearts in this fashion. I did not mean it to happen, the Fates must have, for the moment I entered Duke's house and saw his face I should have knew it. I didn't see it though and now I love him, and he loves Olivia, and Olivia loves Ces who is also I. Oh, woe is my life."

"It certainly is mate," a voice agreed.

Violet jumped at seeing the presence of an otter walking next to her, an otter she had met before when Fezz had first brought her to Duke's dwelling, Valentine, Duke's closest friend.

"Valentine, I...my mouth does not know what the tongue should do, what matter of words could cover this mistake, I..."

"No worries Violet, Fezz told me all of your trials and secrets when you first arrived. You should have no fear of what my ears have just witnessed. I hope that you can consider this crusty otter as a friend in your turmoil."

A rush of relief fell over her mind like a silvery veil, "So you will not tell the Duke."

"Of course he won't, he is a pal of the most wondrous fools and he would not dare to upset his more jovial of companions."

Violet jumped again at the presence of Fezz walking along the other side of her. "Are you two trying to halt the heart of a turmoiled squirrel?"

"Lackaday, never would be ever mean to do just trickery at the sacrifice of a beauty," Fezz place a shocked look on his maw, "No, we stumbled upon you as we were discussing the currents of events of where trouble a-brewing."

"In my opinion, I think that secrets should be revealed Violet, or Ces, whichever title you prefer."

"For now, at least, I think I should stay as Ces, for my heart is still confused on where I should go and this mask over my true identity is what is keeping me steady, helping me to find the true path I should take."

The mouse and otter gave each other a look.

"As a wise fool I must say, that made as much sense to us as an otter marrying a fish, fair maiden."

Violet sighed, "It made sense to I and my heart, that is what matters."

Valentine shrugged and chuckled, a wide smile spreading across his whiskered face, "Well, I must head to see how the Duke is doing, best of luck on your message duties, the quivers in my whiskers tell me yer going to need it mate."

"And I cannot avoid opportunity in the infirmary so I shall run ahead fair maid," Fezz announced, bowing before heading down the path in a quick jog, his hat flopping about as he did.

This felt Violet on the dusty path, alone again with only her thoughts to accompany her. It occurred to her she didn't inquire from either of them of the reason for their fears and suggestion. Whatever it was, she figured she was to find out soon enough.


	6. Little Occurences

• • •

"Your eyes are like limpid pools of gravy my sweet," Tody said, taking Maria's paw in his and kissing it a few too many times than necessary.

"You are just saying that because I helped you in your goal of getting back at Molvo. Anyway, this was all Fezz's idea."

"Ah yes, but to kiss his paws would not hold the same pleasure as kissing yours."

"That maybe only on account of Friar Sly setting my paws to mixing an extra large bowl of meadowcream."

"I thought my lips detected an extra sweetness," Toby noted, "Still, your face is a treat in itself."

A hiccup from underneath a nearby apple tree bluntly shattered the moment between the hares. Toby's nose wiggled in agitation and he stomped his oversized foot to get the attention of the dozing squirrel, "Andrew, do you know the meaning of subtlety?"

"Don't know dat dere Toby, wot sorta flavor be it?" Andrew asked, tipping to cask he had upside-down to see if there was some missed drop of ale within it. A revelation occurred in his drunken head, "I shall be marring Oliva, is dat wot you mean?"

Maria shook her head, "Andrew, you know you have little to know chance with Olivia, I don't even think that love is why you seek her, unless being drunk most of the time is your definition of it."

Andrew nodded his head, "Yes, yes it is, dat is a sign of love."

"Of course it is," Toby said, lifting the intoxicated squirrel to his feet, "In his despair of not receiving love from his beloved, he had turned to his only known relief, drink."

"Haven't you even been in the Abbey you two, it had been spreading from every beast from the eldest to the littlest of Dubbins?"

"Wot 'as, a plague?" Andrew gasped.

Throwing her paws up in desperation, she called for a mole babe who happened to be wandering by, "Rubbs, what is the news about Olivia?"

"M'am, 'e bes in luv wit a miss-e-oyes skurl," the button eyed molebabe answered, tugging at his snout.

Andrew remained oblivious, "Is that 'skurl me?"

"Nope. You drukin' miter 'Drew."

"Yes, now run along," Toby muttered, now annoyed, "Who is this 'mysterous squirrel'."

Maria shrugged, "Don't know. He seemed a nice enough fellow when I met him. Strange acting, still nice though."

In Andrews drunken mind he laid out the vague outlines of a plan to win Olivia, It's too bad to say, that even though the plan was masterful and sure to work, that it was a fleeting thought that faded away to thoughts of candied chestnuts in the kitchens...

• • •

""Ere we are, at de closest point to de grand buildin' know as de wonderious Redstone Abbey and de feared place of all of me kind where horrible things 'ave been masse on de vermains that dare to trod near dis 'eres area..."

The grizzled fox found his speech of sorts had been falling upon deaf ears because it appeared that his squirrel companion had sank in the deepest of sleeps.

Antonio had grown attached to the squirrel in the short time he had been ascorting him into this country dangerous to his kind. The fox didn't mind this danger for some reason, maybe because of this squirrel's companionship. Carefully, he stroked the fur of Seb's cheek. This caused the squirrel to stir and the fox to jump back, his odd feelings fleeting away.

He decided to not bother the squirrel yet and to take a little walk to get his bearings on this location, also a walk to clear away his weird thoughts involving the squirrel. Little did this fox know it, but the direction which he choice to head from the tied up boat was the exact direction of the 'Redstone Abbey' which he unwittingly sought, it was also the direction of trouble.

• • •

"I don't get it."

"That's the point Valentine, I don't get it either. He's a great apprentice, don't get me wrong, there's just something about him that is kinda odd. The way he acts when I'm around, the way he looks at me, and then there's that strange feeling that I...I...nevermind that part of it. What matters is something is going on."

As Duke's best friend, Valentine was tempted to tell him the whole truth, to give him the whole scoop. The only problem was that when the otter evaluated what the whole scoop was, it didn't sound like a great thing for a best friend to reveal. "I wouldn't worry about whatever it is you're worrying about...we are talking about Ces, aren't we?"

"Yes," said Duke, now sounding very much an example of exasperation, "That's it, I'm going to do something." The squirrel grabbed a cloak from a hook on the wall and headed for the exit. Before he could make it there, Valentine stepped into his path.

"Wait one second here Duke. What do you think you're doing? What do you mean by 'something'?"

"You know very well, you know me better than any other beast, you know where I'm headed."

That's what scared Valentine and his rudder like tail blocked Duke as he tried to edge around. If Duke was doing what Valentine thought he was doing, it was time to take into account his agreed friendship with the squirrelmaiden disguised as Ces. He knew that Duke was an all around good guy, he also knew of the temper that floated underneath the surface, which rarely came forth except on special occasions.

Duke said what Valentine figured he would say, "I'm going to find out what Ces is hiding from me."

To have his trust infringed, tricked in such a way, if explained and revealed in the wrong way, Valentine could expect that the result would be explosive in Duke's reaction. "You can't go."

"Why not?"

The otter knew he was stuck, he couldn't give an answer without breaking the trust of a friend. He swerved out of the way.

"I'm coming with you."

This wasn't going to be good. As they exited the treehouse residence, Valentine remembered there was also the problem of Olivia's love. However way this played out, it was going to be messy.

• • •

"I don't know what could be wrong with him," the hedgehog confessed. The hedgehog was the infirmary keeper, who was speaking to Olivia as they walked on the Abbey grounds, warm sunlight flowing over everything, bringing out the color of the thick grass. "I mean, nothing wrong with him besides you knocking him out."

"I guess I'm sorry I did that. It was my first reaction and he was scaring me."

Mari, the hedgehog, shrugged, "He's going to fine, in fact, I left Fezz to visit him. He appeared in genially sympathetic mood." This statement caused Mari to pause and Oliva caught on to what it was on her mind.

"Since when has Fezz been sympathetic to Molvo?"

"I Ithought/i he seemed slightly too willing to visit with him...no...he wouldn't...I think I better go check," Mari decided, "I'll speak to you at dinner Olivia."

Olivia watched as the hedgehog departed, still wondering what brought around Molvo's weird behavior, also smiling at the clues that Fezz was messing around again. A moment caught her eye from the direction of the Abbey gatehouse, a figure that made all of her petty thoughts disappear and put one desire in her mind to run to this figure. Somehow, she kept her ladylike disposition long enough for the figure to make it to her. The figure, of course, was Ces, who took as tiny steps as possible to get to the awaiting squirrelmaiden.

"Good day Olivia, I trust that it is a nice day for you?"

Olivia fluttered her eyelashes at the squirrel, "As of now, it has turned into a glorious day."

"Please, I've come with a message of love from Duke..."

"Duke, Duke, Duke, do you speak of anyone else other than Duke. I would rather hear of you." Olivia stepped ever closers on every one of her words.

Attempting to back away, Ces continued, "He exclaims from the mountains his..."

"If you say love that does not come from your own lips, I dare say I do not want to hear your musical voice."

"Then I shall leave."

The squirrel leapt into Ces' path in a sudden panic, than appears to calm once more, "What I mean to portray, is the pain that I feel every moment that I think you do not fel this pain."

"I don't."

Olivia gasped, "Please, please, I need your words to save me from paril. Say the words that secure our fates together."

"I pity you," Ces muttered, half to himself.

"In 'pity' do you mean love?"

"No, I meant 'pity' in the word 'pity'."

"Oh," said Olivia, evidently disappointed, "I guess I shall leave you to your own fates, to some lucky squirrelmaiden that finds herself not to be I."

Ces started his route at the gate once again, hoping to make a run for it, "Off I go then, our business done." His goal is once again blocked by persistence.

"Stay, please, I know it dwells in your bosom as it does mine. Say what you think of me."

"I think that you are not seeking what you think you are seeking."

"I think about the same of you."

"I think that you think you are right, in more than you know."

"Yet I think what I think is the thought that is correct."

"It is false as I think I'm not what you think or anyone else thinks I be."

They both decided they had gotten themselves lost in that dialogue. Olivia took this moment of stunned silence to embrace Ces and have their noses nuzzle and she opened her mouth to ki-

Kicked in the foot, Olivia released and only saw the bobbing squirrel tail high-tailing away from her. Slightly hurt, slightly confused, she couldn't help the excessive happiness that continued to embrace her even after the failed attempt at a kiss.


	7. Fight Interjected

• • •

The infirmary was lit in a gloomy and shadowy hue because the only light that made it into the room was from around the corners of the drawn curtain. The certain had been drawn to set up a suitable setting for the coming event that was to happen in the room. The organizer of this event was Fezz and the only other beast in the room happened to be the still dazed Molvo, under the influence of herbal relaxants. The perfect sicuation for the mouse jester to have some fun.

He cleared his throat and put out his most eerie of voices. "Molvo..."

The squirrel didn't stir.

"MOLVO..."

Still, not a whisker moved. Impatient, the mouse threw a candied chestnut off Molvo's nose.

"Ow..."

"Molvo," Fezz exclaimed in a renewed gloomy voice.

When Molvo saw the source of this voice, he did not see the insolent mouse jester, he saw some beast covered in a black sheet, floating off the floor, or so it appeared to him in the dim lighting in the room.

"Moooolvoooo," the figure said again.

Panicked, Molvo dove under his covers, hiding his face, "Who are you?"

"I am the Keeper of the Dark Forest."

"Don't hurt me," Molvo groaned from under the sheets.

"I have been watching and I am displeased at what I have witnessed."

Molvo dared to peek and saw what appeared to be a skeletal claw pointing at him. His blood ran cold.

"You have no right to judge those thought in inferior to yourself. I have come to smote you from judging any others and torturing beasts with your behaviors."

"No, no, please, no!" Molvo screamed not noticing the gigging that the 'Keeper' was going while he did so.

"I don't think it's up to debate..."

"Please, I'll do anything!"

"Well..." the beast brought back the skeletal claw into his cloak, "Maybe there is one thing."

"What!"

"You must treat otherbeasts nicer, especially that those that you reprimanded in the cellars."

'Yes, yes," Molvo said, sobbing now.

"And there is one more thing..."

Molvo leaned forward to hear.

"BOOO!"

Startled, Molvo leapt back, became tangled in the sheets, balance on edge of the bed for a brief moment and then plummeted to the floor straight onto his head.

Fezz took this opportunity take leave of the now unconscious squirrel, stowing the black cloak in the closet, and keeping the gnarled stick. that he had used to protray a sketital paw. in his hat.

When he had exited the infirmary, Mari was jogging towards him, suspicions on her face. "Fezz, what were you up to in there?"

The mouse was fully prepared for this sort of 'unexpected' encounter. Fezz put a paw to his heart, "I gasp at the accusation that I would be up to no good. Hedgemaid of stunning beauty, I would think you to know of I better than that. I just wanted to check the well being of my dearest of companions. Now, he is in rest, so tired he fell to the floor. So long for now, sweet Mari."

Mari wasn't able to say a syllable before the mouse had disappeared around the corner.

• • •

Andrew was intoxicated. This, by itself, was not that amazing of a fact because it always seemed like he was intoxicated, which he actually was most of the time. The note that made this situation different was that in his paw he held a sword. Why he had the sword in his paw he couldn't remember for the life of him, or at least until Toby muttered, "Here comes your quarry."

"Quarry, I didn't know that those big rock quarries could move."

"No, not that quarry, the other quarry."

"Like a limestone quarry?"

The hare took the squirrel by the neck, "That squirrel that's trying to steal Olivia away from you, wot," he growled.

"Oh, why didn't you say so? That's sorta burglary to steal a beast."

Toby gave up trying to explain, he was going to help his friend win the paw of Olivia, whether Andrew knew of the help or not. He peeked out from where they hid, behind the gatehouse door. The squirrel was nearing, it was now or never. He stepped out, dragging Andrew behind him. Toby bowed to the squirrel, baring his exit. "Sir, I do not think we have had the pleasure to meet, and now I do not think is the time to bother, because my friend shall ensure that you no long come."

"I do not take your meaning," Ces said, eyeing the sword in Andrew's paw, putting a paw on the hilt of his own.

"You stand in the way of love, so that it cannot make it to the heart of Andrew," Toby explained, motioning to the squirrel, that appeared clueless to what was going on, "So now you must duel, to the death."

"What?" This exclamation was not only made by Ces, but also by Andrew.

"You didn't say that..." Before anyone could reject this action, Toby literally took Andrew and threw him at Ces. By this time, Ces had removed his sword from his belt and had it at the ready, though completely confused on what was going on.

What took place when their swords started to clash may have been the slowest, most unmotivated duel ever, every blow at light taps between blades, the steel swinging at air more than the other sword, and a literal closing of Andrew's eyes every time they impacted each others swords. The truth of the matter was that either wanted to be in the position; Ces didn't want to hurt this evidently drunken opponent, and Andrew had already forgotten what this fight was about.

This lasted for a short period before a rather unexpected event happened in the form of a grizzled fox.

By one sweep of his rusted sword he had the wary squirrel disarmed, another and the squirrel was knocked to the ground by the flat of the blade, a movement more and the tip of the blade tickled Andrew's throat. Ces stood frozen at this sudden interjection.

"Wot matter is dis o' beasts o' peace to be attackin' dis 'ere beasts of innocence? 'E be a new 'rrival and you try ta kill 'im. Dis I did not expect in de bringin' of a friend 'ere. By de way, 'ow did yer get 'ere afore me mate?" Antonio directed at Ces.

This befuddled Ces further, never had he seen this beast before, why did he act like he knew him? This fearsome fox was a foreign sight to Ces and even Violet's eyes. He opened his mouth but could not get words to come out.

"Neber mine dat now, I'll jus take care of di 'ere scallywag once and fer..." something knocked off his scalp and he fell backwards, still conscious but stunned. The Skipper of otters and Toby came running up. Skipper gave no second for the fox to recalibrate his senses, he took the canine by the front of his salt-crusted shirt to lift him to be snout to snout. "Who in Hellgates are you mate? Coming in here and attacking one of us. We don't take kindly to blood spilling vermin in these parts."

Antonio stammered, the hot breath of the otter in his face, the strength that held his shirt almost choking him, "I...I...dis 'ere's me friend, I'bringin' 'im do dis parts. Twas me meself dat saved 'im dere squirrel ferm de edge of death in der ocean."

Ces was trying to back away from this scene, that sickness arising in her stomach, none of this making sense to her. He saw the otter's questioning glance and he answered in a weak voice, "I know not of what he speaks. In sooth, Never have mine eyes seen him."

The fox's eyes widened as he heard the squirrel, fear and desperation filling them up, "No, dat cannot be, I know 'im, my love fer 'im is like dat to a brother, I..."

"Enough from you, you lying scum," the big otter barked, "I know the perfect place for you." With that, he dragged the fox away. Ces couldn't look away at the pain in the fox's eyes. Something bit at the edge of his mind, or her mind, Violet, of her deepest hopes, of a hint, of this occurrence, of what it really meant. She looked like someone the fox knew, someone the fox saved from the ocean...

Could it be, could she still dare to have that hope, that maybe, just maybe... The squirrel really didn't know where she was headed, she found herself going up the stairs of the great Redwall, to the high ramparts. She wasn't going to change her course, she couldn't return to Duke yet, she needed to clear her mind, and figure out the secrets...

• • •

Sitting at the gate, Fezz nibbled on an apple, supposedly standing guard against any marauding hordes of vermin that could be marauding about doing marauding. This was an amusing thought to Fezz so he volunteered for this position. He didn't take the threat seriously, the fox didn't seem that much of threat, in fact, the Dibbuns were having fun, getting him to test out various deserts where he sat tied up in Cavern Hole.

Redwall wasn't that horrible when it came to punishment.

In fact, Fezz wouldn't mind that punishment any day.

A figure was walking down the path towards him. Fezz tensed up a moment before he realized that it was a familar face. "Oh Ces, I've heard of your romantic endeavors. I wasn't sure if you left, but since it seems you did, I wouldn't have figured you back for a while."

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Fezz cocked his head sideways to look at the squirrel again, "As sure as Dibbuns avoid water and dive in cream, I do. Don't I? You make me doubt the own conclusions of my foolishly wise concluders."

Relief was read on the squirrel, "Ah yes, you are a fool, a jester, I should have known for your headgear. Please, may I enter your Redwall Abbey."

"Sure. If it is actually mine I'm sure, the deed has never touched my paws as of yet. Are you sure you are not of the title 'Ces'."

"You are mistaken, it tis Seb."

Fezz opened the door to the squirrel, still wondering at the squirrel's familar appearence, as he passed into the Abbey it hit him. He knew one thing more too, everything was about to get a bit more fun.


	8. The Conclusion Blitz

• • •

Toby had not given up his quest, and he was trying his best to get Andrew not to give up the quest either, for Andrew and Oliva to end up together.

"Maybe that was too rash, but it almost worked, if that fox hadn't come," Toby muttered, pacing in front of Andrew. They stood in the Abbey lawn just outside of the entrance, being warmed by the afternoon sun.

"Does this mean I get Olivia?" Andrew inquired, finally up to speed on what was apaw.

"No, we have to challenge that 'Ces' fellow again, beat him and send him running back to Duke with the news that you are the only one for her."

"Her who?"

"Olivia you dunderhead," Toby said, wagging his ears in agitation again, bopping the squirrel between the ears. "I don't think that he left the building actually. I wonder where he could have gotten to..." He scanned the scene around him.

In a stroke of pure coincidence, as the hare scanned the area for Ces, his search locked onto the figured of Seb, only a few paces away, coming towards them to ask them where he was.

"Ah-ha, coward, thought that you could sneak away from us," Toby announced.

Andrew was ready this time, sort of, "Aye, forget swords, let's go in paw to paw combat." Unbalanced, the squirrel bobbed about and jabbed his paws at Seb. One of his jabs aim ended completely askew and sent his own paw into his own face. He hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. Seb watched this, slightly confused and slightly amused. He turned to pass these apparent fools. The hare caught onto his paw.

"Let go of my paw," he said, annoyed now.

"I cannot let my friend loose Olivia to the likes of you."

"What are you talking about? And who is..?"

Before he could finish the question, Olivia appeared, running towards them, now dressed in clothes of pure white. Everything was forgotten in Seb's mind as he saw this creature of beauty coming, possibly an angel, his heartbeat rushed and he felt as if he were floating.

"Ces, please, I know now if will accept as I have. I must ask you, the love of my heart, the perfection of my kind, the wonderful most handsome beast of Mossflower, do you love me? I ask this final time and I need a true answer."

A dream, it must be a dream, Seb decided, but it felt so real to him. He took the paws of Olivia in his, "If I be asleep and this be all an illusion, let me never to awake from this vision of loveliness."

Olivia wanted to scream her happiness, she pulled at the squirrel, "We must go see the Abbot, to fulfill desires. You do love me?" She asked, hoping this wasn't some cruel misunderstanding.

"Yet I know you not I can say that I do."

She saw Toby and Andrew, staring at her, dumbfounded, "Did you hear that? He loves me. Come you can be the witnesses."

"Witnesses to what?" Andrew droned, dazed from his own punch.

"Our marriage."

• • •

The sun was sinking fast by the time that Duke and Valentine made it to the Abbey gates, where Fezz still kept up his pointless vigil for vermin. The mouse saluted to the squirrel and otter, "Ah, the warrior and his noble companion cometh to the Abbey of Redwall, also know as Redwall Abbey, or of more resent events, it could be considered the Abbey of Blooming Love, not a place for a tough hearted warrior of caked heart such as yourself."

Duke put his arms akimbo, "Really? And how about mouse fools of fibbing tongues?"

"Alas, I have been placed outside, the love not meant to have its lips upon my cheeks. I shall be a lonely fool for always."

"And that cute Abbey Sister mouse that you pine about every time you visit?"

Fezz gasped, "Cheater, you use my confident pining against me."

The otter remained slightly confused by Fezz's first comment, "What do you mean it could be called 'Abbey of Blossoming Love.'"

The mouse removed his floppy cap, "The bells of marriage are about to set forth upon the air above our heads..." His voice was interrupted by the said bells actually ringing a joyful tune.

Not suspecting anything amiss, Duke grinned, "A marriage of two loving souls, that must mean a feast is on the horizon to meet this good news. Pray tell, who are the two lucky beasts?"

Fezz's smile faltered only a flicker when asked, "I'm told, though I find it hard to believe, that Olivia and Ces are the two lucky beasts."

The dark clouds of realization flowed over Duke's expression and redness lit in his gaze. He couldn't bring himself to say anything, the horrible betrayed sickness sank in his heart which started to shatter. He quivered in rage. He did not hear what Valentine or Fezz said more, by blind instinct he walked into the Abbey, under the dark arch, into the bright lawn, his gaze darting about, trying to find a target. Unfortunately, Violet as Ces was making her way down from the ramparts, much calmed from her walk. When she saw Duke she smiled and waved.

Duke sprinted at him at full pace and grabbed him at the shoulders. "How could you!"

"How could I what?"

"If you participated in this treachery there is no chance that you do not know of it. I trusted you as a brother, closer than a brother, to send my message of love and compassion, not to steal it away."

With every accusation Ces became more lost in the dialogue, "What do you mean? I did not steal her love..." She realized the Duke must of heard of Olivia's crush. "She pushed herself on me, nothing happened."

"You can't say nothing has happened when everything has happened!" Duke was yelling now, his muscles quivering as his temper grew.

"Duke, I know not what you speak, I have no idea what you think I have done. The only everything I have done is to carry forth your wishes and to listen to your guidance and to come here to once again try to proclaim your love to Olivia."

"But you've married her and...and..." His voice died on his lips and anger disappeared, the world becoming a backdrop, an impulse overwhelming him.

Fezz and Valentine had quickly followed after Duke in his tirade; when they closed in on where he and Ces stood, they froze.

From the main building, the Abbot accompanied Toby and Maria, "I would be glad to tie the knot between you two. If I might not be too bold, I think you make a perfect pair."

"Don't ya think, wot?" Toby agreed, kissing Maria's paw multiple time, "And she's just as sweet as when I first met her."

"That's because of making candied chestnuts just now," Maria chided, pulling the paw away from his lips.

The Abbot caught sight of Duke and Ces as they were passing, "Looks like Ces told Duke the good news about him and Olivia, that's quite a tight hug..." He blinked, changed direction to go closer, "Wait…that's not a...what in the Dark Forest..."

"Hellsgates," Toby gasped, to have Maria bop him for the language but when she saw what they were seeing she said the same thing.

This whole sequence couldn't have taken more than a few second but to those witnessing, it felt by all sense of time much longer as they all stood there, mouths agape, Fezz not even able to make a pun.

Duke and Ces were kissing, not a friend kiss, a real kiss between them. Duke not knowing what drew him into it, and the Violet side of Ces not wanting it to stop.

It did stop and slid into a completely awkward silence as they saw they were watched.

Before either could try to explain themselves on what had just happened, Olivia appeared to break the horrible trance, unaware of had just had took place, "What are you standing around frozen on this wonderful day? It is a time for celebrations, everybeast is in a bustle to prepare for the occasion. Duke! I guess you've come to give your blessing to the wedding, since only your consent must have been the final frosting on the cake, whyever else would Ces finally admit his love? And my beloved, what are you doing out here? I swear you were testing the dishes in the kitchens when I left you."

The silence from the other beasts continued, though a few opened and closed their mouths in response to Olivia's line of blurb.

"Well, I'm out here because I followed you when you left the kitchen," Seb said, stepping up besides her, "But I swear you have eyes at the back of your head, my attempts were to sneak up on you…" Ces and Seb caught sight of each other. They walked toward each other, in wonder and curiosity and unbelief, everyone else glancing back and forth between them, all except Fezz, completely thrown on what was going on, and even Fezz didn't know the complete truth of the matter.

Antonio arrived, a bunch of Dibbuns crowded around him, "Seb, why did you let me be bounded and gagged by these Goodbeasts? I will fergive ya fer de event since dose likkle ones, Dibbun, I tink, fed me dilerbles many and den dey released me since dey say oi did no harm and...and..." It occured to Antonio how silent the scene was, then it occured to him that there was two Seb's in his vision. "Were dere sometin in dose dere chesnuts or is dere two o' you Sebs?"

"Wonderful!" Olivia blurted out.

Seb captured his voice back. "Do my eyes deceive my mind, or do I see I? I cannot know if this is reality or some trickery placed on me by the Fates."

The voice of Ces quavered, barely a whisper, "I think that it shows what it sees."

"But how so, there is no way it is possible, I have no relation of the male race, no identical twin."

"Nor do I in that sense. I came from the far South."

"As did I, and set forth on a voyage after my father departed to the Dark Forest."

"As did I."

"They closed in on each other, all their hopes culminating upon their hearts, growing to bursting threatening to blow, the tears were coming of happiness. "I did have a sister and a father by the name of Sebastian."

"That was my father's name and my brother's, whose spirits was lost to the claws of a storm and drowned from existences."

"I am that spirit, not drowned, which means the spirit of my sister is..."

Violet threw off the deepen voice she had been using and leapt to her brother's arms, "I, Violet."

As the brother and sister embraced, the expressions on the audience's faces turned to something completely at a intersection of surprise, degust, embarrassment, amazement and something akin to the look someone gets when they realize that they had eaten half a worm in an apple and scored in the opponents goal at the same time. The Dibbun's gave a lusty cheer.

Duke cleared his throat, "So my heart has tricked me into corner and let me out of it in the most unusual of ways, so it seems. Eh, Valentine?"

"So it seems friend and you willing to forget embarrassment and take opportunity, despite what events have passed?"

"What mean you?"

Fezz popped and placed an arm around Duke's shoulders, "Meanings are whatever they are meant to be and what you get them to mean. The meaning of course is to take your longing heart and target the target just a few moments ago unseen and unreachable."

"For a fool, you do not take to giving foolish advice well."

"What can I say? A wise fool am I. Take your shot."

"Ces..." He coughed to cover the mistake, "I mean Violet, come here my apprentice. And Father Abbot, could you come over here too."

The two beasts complied, Seb following Violet and the Abbot still being flustered. Duke took Violet's paw, "Ces...ur...Violet, I take it you know of what I really think and even though I know that it to be crazy to know this now and to understand this happening, I must release it now or never. I never really knew love, I never knew the truth of it, I never knew of the things you told me. I know that now. I know that there is only one squirrel for me, you, Ces..." He slapped his face, "Violet."

"Oh Duke, you captured me when I first met you. Though the current events are in sooth…weird, and you still can say that, my heart wants to be even closer to you." Violet took a breath, "I love you." With this statement, she and the Duke kissed again, this time, without the horrible awkwardness.

Meanwhile Olivia and Seb were straightening things out, in a rather smoother way than expected.

"I'm sorry that I unwittingly deceived you," Seb sighed, "I shall end this union if you wish."

"No, never, you love me and I still know that I love you, whether it be Seb or Ces or Violet, I know it is true in my heart. The heart does not trick without meaning. It has led me to you and to you I will stay." With that, another kiss set forth between her and Seb.

"This doesn't make a whisker of sense, wot," Duke mused.

"Sure it does," Maria answered, "Olivia loved Ces who happened to be Violet who happened to like Duke who was trying to win Olivia who was being sought after by Andrew who really didn't love her so it ended up that Olivia married Seb who is Violet's twin brother who..."

"This is why I love you," Toby interrupted and kissed her, both because he wanted to and he was at risk of getting a headache if he didn't stop her explanation.

"Ur...I guess there's going to be another wedding plan," the Abbot comment, watching from the sidelines with Fezz, Valentine, Antonio, and the recently arrived Andrew.

"What happened?" Andrew asked, dazed drunk once again.

"More than can be said in a short period without causing the functions of your slow brain to freeze and die," Fezz said.

"Oh, that's nice," Andrew sighed.

All the players of these events were set here on the Abbey lawns as the light turned to golden, placing the walls into bright red, an effect of the afternoon sun. This statement is not completely true, since all save for one of the notable characters of this tale were present at this scene.

Molvo, his head bandaged up, his fur from ears to tail, completely disheveled, made it to this group in a dazed fashion.

"Ol' Molvo. Welcome," Fez exclaimed in a more enthusiastic voice than he usually used in the greeting of Molvo.

Molvo jumped back, "No, get away from me, forgive me for my sourness, I won't do it again. Please my life depends on it."

Olivia heard this ranting and became worried, "Molvo, what is wrong?"

"Why lady? Why sent a letter of secrecy and love and then hurt me so?"

"I never sent a letter."

"I'm sure you did. It was in..."

"iNoble Molvo is a grand beast that I adore and with out him I shall die. If only he would change.../I" Fezz quoted from his cheesily composed fake letter.

"What do you..."

"iIf only he would don a smile on his maw and dye his tail a bright yellow./i"

"It was iyou/i."

The mouse made an elegant bow, "I'm proud to say it."

Toby and Andrew caught the dark squirrel before he could make it to the mouse to strangle him. "I swear if I get my paws on you blurrering fibbing mossy rotten froggy scum."

Wagging a paw, Fezz had a quip ready, "Ooo, such language, tisk, tisk. Dibbuns, cover your ears."

The Dibbuns complied by stuffing their paws into their ears.

Struggling free from detainment, Molvo growled at the smiles at his misfortune, "That's it, I shall get my revenge on all of you." He stalked away.

"Ah, Molvo has been much pained, he needs to be cheered," Olivia sighed.

"I think so, Dibbuns, go and hug your Uncle Molvo," Fez announced, the Dibbuns stampeding after the sour squirrel.

"Now, let us depart Ces...ur...Violet, and set our hearts together," Duke exclaimed.

"Yes and to tell the full tale of what has happened in the past days since my arrival on these shores."

The group made their way for the main building of the Abbey, an abundant amount of happiness in an aurora around them...

None of them happened to see a beast hidden in the shadows of the wall, making notes on a scroll

• • •


	9. The Final Note

_And so concludes a tale of romance, comedy, trickery, fools, beauty, disguise and mistaken identity. A story of complications many and an ending of sweet, where love conquers all but the most hardened of hearts. Olivia and Seb stayed in the Abbey and Duke and Violet stayed in Duke's treehouse dwelling. Toby and Maria traveled to Salamandastron a season or two back. Andrew eventually got position of co-cellarsquirrel as long as he promised to limit his drinking. Even Fezz married a pretty mousemaid named Blossom, who could put up with his constant jest. Molvo remained sour until he found a talent in storytelling to the Dibbuns and now his smile is anything but forced. Antonio found a place in Redwall as an assistant baker in the kitchens, though some may say he is more of a taste tester than baker._

_So, as it always turns out, all is well in Redwall Abbey as I sit and finish this narrative in the morning sun on its ramparts. It took a large amount of spying and questions to get this story straight. I think one day the masses shall enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it out,_

_One day, I think I shall set down my quill and take this tale, and the others I have wrote, on a journey across the land to spread their words far and wide._

_For now, I think I shall keep my position as Recorder of Redwall Abbey and wait to see what other tales shall fall my way._

_Until then,_

Brother Illiam Shakes, Recorder of Redwall Abbey in Mossflower Country


End file.
